Animal-trap.



PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906.

J. ASGHENBRENNBR.

ANIMAL TRAP. APPLIOATION FILED JAN.15,1906.

No. seas re.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed January 15, 1906-Seriel No. 296,108.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

1:"0 t/Z whom (It 'm/ct concern;

Be ii: known that I, Josnrn Ascnessnnn- NEH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oflllizniiis, have inviuited. certain new and useful improvements inAnimal Traps; and

I do hereby declare the following to be a full, i

clear, and exact description of the invention, such will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same,

,lliy in ention relates to a novel construction in a rap, the objectbeing to provide device f t character in which a relaely up no iitelinumber of rats or other anie caught alive without bodily 1nmals may 2; pconsists in the features of conand combinations of partshereinrlescribed and claimed. In the acct npanying drawings, illustrab)7], Figure l is a verticallongi :1 cl :1 rat-trap constructed in 1 Ainvention, Fig. Zisa ection of the same on the veri. real Illfy 3rapcomprises a receptacle A, which is relatively long, narrow, and deep, ofrectangular form, and made, preferably, of sheet metal, receptacle beingprovided at one side adjacent the bottom thereof with a B, hinged on itslower edge thereto and adapted to be locked in its closed position bymeans of a suitable latch C. Oppotacle A is partially foraminated,preferab by cutting it longitudinal slot therein which is covered 'ith astrip of wire-cloth D. Disposed in the upper end of said receptacle Aare two cross-rods E, secured at their ends to the side alls thereofadjacent the end walls, and on each of said cross-rods E a flat plate iis pivot-ally mounted between its ends, the length of each of saidplates being relatively a trille ll 1 than one-half the length of saidreceptor 1 an d being relatively so disposed that than inr-r ends almostnieet. Said inner ends heir: of greater length than the outer end.poi'tio s of said plates, the latter are itcd by means of the blocks G,

countorwl' of anr s1 able material, secured thereto.

site said vote the opposite wall of said recep- The said outer ends projct slightly beyond the end walls of suit receptacle A and rest upon thelatter. Piyotally mounted between their ends on said rods E arebell-cranlc levers ll, one arm of each of which carries a weight 1 atits free end, the other arm thereof being disposed in the path of thelower endof each are referably made of Wire, which is coiled at t celbow portions of said levers to form. spiral springs which will becompressed by the pressure exerted on the free ends of the arms of saidlevers when said weights I strike the end walls of said receptacle. Oneach of the end walls of said receptacle A, adjacent the u iper endsthereof, are loo s J, of wire or the hire, which are adapted to beengaged by hooks K on the upper ends of inclined run ways L to supportthe latter, said runways serving to enable animals to be trapped toascend upon said plates F. On the u per ends of the side walls of saidreceptac e A are flaring flanges M, and secured at its ends to themiddle upper end portions of said flanges M is a cross-bar N, from whicha rod 0 depends, to the lower end of which bait is attached in anysuitable manner, said bait being thus disposed above the extreme innerends of said plates F. When a rat or other animal mounts said plate Fand its weight falls upon the inner end portions thereof, the latterwill obviously dip and preci itate such animal into said receptacle A.Tii i latter, being made of metal, cannot be gnawed through, and itssheer smooth walls will prevent'the animal caught therein fromclambering to the top, and thus possibly escape.

The device is very simple and eflicient.

I claim as my invention 1. An animal-trap comprising a relatively deep,elongated recepacle open at its up er end, inclined approaches disposedat eit er end. thereof, lateral shafts spanning the open end of saidreceptacle adjacent the ends thereof, platforms pivotally mounted on thesaid shafts between their ends, the inner ends of said platforms beingof greater length then the outer ends and the latter beingcounterweighted and ada tedto rest at their free ends upon the on wallsof said receptacle,

bell-crankw levers pivotallydisposed on the said shafts, and each havinga dependin 1 arm carrying a weight, the other arms'o' said levers belngdis longer ends of said p adapted to be engaged thereby to raise theweighted arms when said platforms a e osed in the paths of the atformsrespectively and swung, said Weighted arms being adapted to impartinitial reverse movement to said platforms. I

2. An eniinel travp comprising arelatively deep, elongated receptacleopen at its upper end, inclined approaches disposed at either endthereof,- lateral shafts spanning the open end of said receptacleadjacent the ends thereof, platforms pivotally mounted on the saidshafts between their ends, the inner ends of said platforms being ofgreater length then the outer ends and the latter being counter-Weighted and adapted tofrest at their free ends upon the end walls ofsaid receptacle, bell-crank levers provided at their elbows with spiralsprings pivots-ll disposed on the said shafts and each having :1depending arm carrying a weight, the other arms of said -levers being;disposed in the paths of the longer ends of said platforms respectivelyand adapted to be engaged "thereby to raise the weighted arms when saidplatforms are swung, said weighted arms being adapted to impart initialreverse movement to said platforms.

In testimony whereof I have signed my heme in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses. l

JOSEPH ASQHENBRENNER.

Witnesses: o

' RUDOLPH WM. Lorz, 'ARTHUR A. Lotus.

